Simplified packaging methods



y 1957 SHIGEJIRO UEMATSU 3,

SIMPLIFIED PACKAGING METHODS Filed June 28, 1965 FIG.| FIG.2

United States Patent 3,330,089 SIMPLIFIED PACKAGING METHODS Shigejiro Uematsu, Tokyo, Japan, assignor to Lion Fat & Oil Co., Ltd., Tokyo, Japan Filed June 28, 1965, Ser. No. 467,328 7 Claims. (CI. 53-24) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A method for packing compressible granular materials in which prepared packages each containing granular material of a quantity such that each package has a bulging configuration, are placed together to form a prismatic arrangement. Two substantially U-shaped supporting plates are applied onto opposite faces of said prismatic arrangement leaving the opposite ends open, and clamped tightly against the packages to be self-supporting thereon and then said clamped arrangement is covered with a wrapping paper in tight fitting relation.

The present invention relates to simplified methodsfor packaging together a plurality of packages of granular or powdery materials such as powdery soap or sugar for transportation or for storage. The packages may be in sets of one or more dozens.

In the conventional methods of packaging, it has been usual to employ an outer corrugated cardboard box or a Wooden box and to pack the packages therein. The cost of such boxes has risen and is considerably high at pres ent. It therefore becomes expensive to utilize such preformed boxes.

A primary object of the present invention is to provide a simplified packaging method which eliminates the need for a preformed corrugated cardboard or wooden box and yet provides a package having a strength which can favorably compare with that produced by any conventional method.

A further object of the invention is to provide a packaging method in which each of the packages is tightly compressed against other packages.

A still further object of the invention is to provide U-shaped members which encase a plurality of packages to cover the same and compress the material therein such that the packages are tightly compresed against one another.

It is a feature of the invention that the U-shaped members which encase the packages become supported in selfsustaining relation on the packages by reason of the compression of the material therein. Preferably, the U-shaped members are corrugated cardboard.

Another object of the invention is to clamp the packages together by the U-shaped members to force the package into contact with one another and compress the material whereby substantially no clearance is formed between the plates and the packages.

Another object of the invention is to compress the packages without clearance within an opening of rectangular cross-section as defined by the U-shaped members.

It is another object of the invention to enable forming a package of a number of packs which may be initially stacked vertically in columns or in horizontal rows after which they are packaged together.

It is a further feature of the invention that a pair of U-shaped plates may be applied to columns or rows of packages in opposed relation from either side of such columns or rows to clampingly engage the packages between such opposed U-shaped members.

In accordance with a method according to the invention, the individual packages are each filled with a mass of compressible material in a quantity sufiicient to cause bulging of the packages. Thereafter, the packages are arranged in adjacent relationship in the general form of a prismatic outline. Then a pair of open members such as U-shaped plates which cooperatively define a substantially closed interior space are applied onto the arranged packages to cover the same and compress the material in said packages such that the members are secured without clearance on the packages. Initially the interior space defined by the open members corresponds to the prismatic outline of the packages but is of slightly smaller size. A thin sheet of material may then be entirely placed over the members and packages in tight relation to form a cover for the completed package. v

Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention with reference to the attached drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a sectional view showing schematically a package produced by a typical conventional packing method;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view shown in exaggerated manner a package to which the packaging method of this invention is preferably applied;

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of the completed package according to the present packaging method; and

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view through the package of FIG. 3.

In the drawings, it should be noted that similar parts are designated by the same reference numbers.

Referring to FIG. 1, in the conventional packaging methods, it is inevitable to leave a slight clearance between packages 1 and the inner wall of a package box 5 in order to facilitate the placing of the packages 1 into the box. There is thus obtained vertical clearance C and side clearance C as shown in FIG. 1.

Therefore, the forces which are mainly caused by the weight of packed articles while being loaded or transported, act from inside or outside of the box against the box walls and these forces are applied directly to the surrounding walls of the box.

This requires that the walls of the package box have enough strength to resist such forces. When the individual packages inside the box are somewhat free to move, the greater such tendency to apply forces to the box.

This is the very reason why excess clearances between the outer packing material and the packed articles there in are strictly avoided.

The method according to the present invention includes an entirely novel concept which, so to speak, makes use of the packed articles themselves as a part of the packing material in order to eliminate such clearances, taking into consideration that the articles to be packed are a compressible mass in powdery or granular state. First, the individual packages are filled with a predetermined quantity of contents to cause each side of the flexible package to bulge outwardly if separately placed as shown in FIG. 2. The packages are generally made slightly smaller than the conventional package for the same quality of contents in order to produce the slight amount of bulging. A prescribed number of these packages which form a unit for transportation or storage, are packed side by side into prismatic shape such as the parallelepiped shown in FIG. 3, and then the packages are clamped together tightly by means of U-shaped plates 2, 3 constituted of corrugated cardboard which are applied on the two sides or the top and bottom of the prism. Each of the individual packages is compactly full of the powdery or granular contents and the bulged sides are straightened as shown in FIG. 4 by a compressing of the contents.

Finally, these clamped packages are tightly Wrapped with a sheet of ordinary packing paper 4.

The packages packed together according to the above described method of the invention, can be considered to be virtually integral with one another, constituting a single solid body of powdery or granularcontents. Therefore, the forces which act against the package during transportation or loading are absorbed and dispersed into the powder or grains and do not damage the packaging material. On the other hand, plates 2 and 3 serve to pro- In a typical example a dozen individual packages are packed together into a single unit. The individual packages are placed together in two rows, generally in the manner 'shown in FIG. 3. Each package contains approximately 500 g. of powdery material. Each package when free standing has a height of 220 mm., a nominal width of 155 mm. and a nominal depth of 54 mm. with approximately 2. 3 mm. bulge in the middle at each side whereby the maximum depth at the center through the bulges is 54+3+3=60 mm., whereas the maximum width is -*155 +3+3=161 mm. The packages are compressed into a unit and bounded by opposed U-shaped members as shown 'in FIG. 4, the unit having a width of 310 mm., .a height of 220 mm. and a depth of 340 The total weight of bursting or damage under compression or impulse'forces.

It will be understood that the present invention is very significant in most fields of industry because of the elimination of the outer package boxes and accordingly, by a significant reduction of the packaging cost.

Numerous modifications and variations of the disclosed methods and packages will become apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the following claims.

What is claimed is: V

1. A method for packing compressible granular materials to form a storage or transport unit constituted by a plurality of packages filled with said granular material, said method comprising the steps of: preparing said packages such that each contains granular material in such a quantity that each of said packages has a bulging configuration, placing the packages together to form a collective prismatic arrangement of packages, applying two opposing substantially U-shaped elongated supporting plates onto the faces of said arrangement leaving the opposite ends thereof open, clamping said prismatic arrangement and the supporting plates together tightly to an extent 'tect the granular packages against external forces and superficial scratches.

that said supporting plates substantially cover the faces of said arrangement lying under said plates, and thereafter 7,

enveloping the entire external surface of the thus clamped packages with a thin sheet of material.

2. A method of packing a plurality of packages in V which each package'has a flexible cover and contains a quantity of compressible material in an amount sufficient to cause the packages to each have an initially bulged condition, said method comprising stacking the packages to form a rectangular arrangement thereof, applying a pair of opposed substantially rigid U-shaped members onto the rectangular package arrangement, each U-shaped member being formed with depending legs having a spacing which is less than the width of the rectangular arrangement such that when the U-shaped members are applied onto 'the package arrangement they laterally compress the package arrangement by compression of the compressible material in said packages and thereby become secured in tight fitting self-supporting relation on said package arrangement.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2 wherein said U- shaped members are corrugated elements which encover the packages such that legs of the U-shaped corrugated element have spaced edges which face one another.

4. A method as'claimed in claim 3 comprising entirely covering the corrugated elements with a thin sheet of material.

5. A method as claimed in claim 3 wherein-said sheet of material is paper.

6. A method as claimed in claim 5 wherein said corrugated elements are corrugated cardboard.

7. A method as claimed in claim 2 wherein said pack ages are stacked in two adjacent lines with the sides of the packages in each line in contact with the sides of corresponding packages in the other line, said U-shaped 'members respectively extending over the tops and the bottoms of the packages of the adjacent lines and along 'the sides of said packages and having open ends.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,700,459 1/1955 Anspacher 20683.5 2,880,866 4/1959 Van Dyck 206-835 2,962,848 12/1960 Wilson .a 53124 3,140,037 7/1964 Baum et al. 20683.5

THERON CONDON, Primary Examiner.

W. T. DIXSON, JR., Assistant Examiner. 

1. A METHOD FOR PACKING COMPRESSIBLE GRANULAR MATERIALS TO FORM A STORAGE OR TRANSPORT UNIT CONSTITUTED BY A PLURALITY OF PACKAGES FILLED WITH SAID GRANULAR MATERIAL, SAID METHOD COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: PREPARING SAID PACKAGES SUCH THAT EACH CONTAINS GRANULAR MATERIAL IN SUCH A QUANTITY THAT EACH OF SAID PACKAGES HAS A BULGING CONFIGURATION, PLACING THE PACKAGES TOGETHER TO FORM A COLLECTIVE PRISMATIC ARRANGEMENT OF PACKAGES, APPLYING TWO OPPOSING SUBSTANTIALLY U-SHAPED ELONGATED SUPPORTING PLATES ONTO THE FACES OF SAID ARRANGEMENT LEAVING THE OPPOSITE ENDS THEREOF OPEN, CLAMPING SAID PRISMATIC ARRANGEMENT AND THE SUPPORTING PLATES TOGETHER TIGHTLY TO AN EXTENT 